The plastic artist Christo, famous for his monumental achievements including notably packing monuments like the Pont-Neuf in Paris and the Reichstag in Berlin, died Sunday at the age of 84, indicate his collaborators on his official Facebook account .
STATEMENT ON CHRISTOMay 31, 2020Artist Christo Vladimirov Javacheff, known as Christo, passed away of natural causes ...
Gepostet von Christo and Jeanne-Claude Official am Sonntag, 31. May 2020The artist, born Christo Vladimirov Javacheff, in Bulgaria, "died of natural causes on May 31, 2020 at his home in New York," according to a message posted by his "office" on his Facebook page.
The artist is known for packaging the greatest monuments in the world. Latest project to date: the Arc de Triomphe, a work postponed until the fall of 2021 due to the health crisis. The project should be continued. The Center Pompidou, which had planned a dedicated exhibition from July 1, expressed on social networks a "strong emotion" and a "deep sadness".
It is with great emotion and immense sadness that we learn of the disappearance of Christo with whom we had passionately worked for the exhibition “Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Paris! " It will open on July 1 and pay tribute to his exceptional work. pic.twitter.com/D9zfd3lnWG
- Center Pompidou (@CentrePompidou) May 31, 2020He had arrived in Paris for the first time in 1958. It was in the French capital that he met Jeanne-Claude Denat de Guillebon, "not only his wife but a life partner in the creation of environmental works of art. monumental, ”says the press release. Jeanne-Claude died on November 18, 2009.
Ephemeral works around the world
"Christo lived his life to the fullest, not only by imagining what seemed impossible, but by realizing it," the press release continued. The work of Christo and Jeanne-Claude has brought people together in shared experiences around the world, and their work continues in our hearts and memories. "
Among his most famous projects: Valley Curtain, a saffron curtain that crossed an entire valley in Colorado, in the United States. Closer to home, the artist had already packed the Pont-Neuf in Paris in the mid-1980s. Ten years later, he packed the Reichstag in Berlin, where the German Parliament sits.
25 years ago, Christo and Jeanne-Claude packed the Reichstag of a reunified Germany https://t.co/QhUWvO2n4C pic.twitter.com/MvJJaTjVDr
- Carine Currit (@carinecurrit) May 31, 2020“In a 1958 letter, Christo wrote: Beauty, science and art will always triumph . We are keeping these words close today, ”concluded the press release.